missizzy

Yesterday we were on the metro, on the way to the Folger, when mom suddenly realized she'd mistaken the date she'd bought us tickets; they're for the 9th. So she took it the other way home, and I decided to go further to the Hoffman and see The Marvels a day earlier. As a film, perhaps there were a few better qualities it lacked, but the emotional core of the story was still strong and powerful, and once you accept that there may be a little bit of absurdity in it, the rest of the movie is just plain fun. I'm sorry it apparently got cut down a bit; I came out wanting more. Really wish it was making enough money for more to be certain.

Mom's new passport arrived in the mail this week. My application is still listed as in progress on the DoS website. It's only been seven and a half weeks since they received it, so I'm trying not to get too anxious about it, but one really wonders why it didn't get done alongside my mother's, since we mailed the applications together. Of course, in theory, I don't need it for two more months, although I'm still nervous about trying to board even a domestic flight to San Diego without it. Said flights have been booked, and I even downloaded the United app onto my phone, but so far it has not been behaving itself at all.
I finally saw Across the Spiderverse on Monday. I failed to be as immediately awestruck as some viewers described themselves as being, but the more I thought about it in the days since, the more impressed with the movie I got. Except then I got less so when I heard about how badly they abused the crew, and that they're even trying to force them to finish the next one by next year! (I'd assumed we'd have to wait until 2027 or whenever. I'd be perfectly fine with doing so. I and society will probably last that long.) Just goes to show you can't think highly of *anyone* in charge in Hollywood at the moment. At this point it's not even that the actors need to strike for their own sake, it's that everyone else needs them to strike, too!

Saw Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves on Sunday. I don't know how much it really captured the feeling of playing the game-maybe more in some scenes than others, but it was loads of fun to watch. Maybe that less serious, free-for-all spirit was the most D&D thing about it. I'm kind of torn over whether a sequel would be right or not, but since there's probably going to be one either way, might as well go with that.
Much less fun is trying to keep a group going. It's been over a month since my Netherdeep group played, and I still don't know when we're next playing-or even if. We're close enough to the end I we could probably at least finish the campaign out before disbanding if we could just find a time when we're all free. But the weeknights are no longer available, and one of the players is playing in another campaign Sunday. The DM is still talking about another campaign, but honestly, I think I'm going to bail on that and get serious about finding another in-person group.
That the weather's finally getting warmer is further encouraging to that, as is that we've in theory got a date for the yellow line to come back. (Though, of course, it might not.) Maybe start going out a little more during the weekends, at least until the heat starts hitting!
Also am now working the the Caduceus Mighty Vibes puzzle, which I ordered after finishing the puzzle mom got me for Christmas. The Christmas puzzle, however, had pieces that were all the same size and general shape of each other, while the Caduceus puzzle does not. It's definitely going to take more work.

I discovered today that the new Ant-Man movie had been out a week. I'd heard about reviews coming out, but had thought I'd see more of a reaction on tumblr if it was out already. But after reading both about the general reaction to it, and the cast list, noting specifically who wasn't on it (seriously, what do they think we all went to the second one for?), I've decided I don't want to walk through the cold or shell out the money just to see it in the theaters. I can always just watch it on Disney+ in three months time if I feel the need. And right now I feel more interest in watching Black Panther: Wakanda Forever again.
Although I've also been watching the new All Quiet on the Western Front on Netflix. That's one striking, brutal film. I haven't read the novel, so I don't known how much is from that and how much of the scenes with the higher-ups especially was derived purely from history, but it all works together to further raise the viewer's anger and grief at the world that caused the war to happen.
I've actually seen enough of the Oscar nominees this year I may well watch at least part of the ceremony. Then again, I'm dubious on how much I'll like the results.

We have now had our three days of events despite the cold. It turned out mom was right to worry about the Chinese restaurants, but there was also the realization that we couldn't go to both one and to a movie anyway, due to her inability to drive in the dark. If the place we've typically gone to in the past is doing take-away again next year, we may look into possibly picking up Chinese food on the way home from the movie. So on the 25th itself we did just the movie, seeing an odd Cannes jury-prize winning film called Aftersun, which definitely dragged at times but was emotionally moving at the end.
Yesterday was the big day, going over to my sister's to watch The Glass Onion, have dinner, and open presents. It was actually a very good thing we were watching it at home and could thus pause as many times as we needed to so my sister could explain things to my mother; she never would've understood what was going on otherwise. Thanks to this, we all enjoyed and appreciated it greatly. It felt like more of a reflection of and commentary on the world as it currently is than anything else I've seen on screen since the new decade started. I ended up getting two sweaters, a hoodie, a jigsaw puzzle, and the third volume of Vox Machina: Origins.
Today mom and I went to the National Gallery on what we think of as our Boxing Day visit, even if it might not be on Boxing Day itself, necessarily. We saw their current shows on Caravaggio and John Singer Sargeant's more Spanish-inspired artwork. I came out with greatly increased appreciation for the latter especially, and the broad scope and nuance of what he painted.
Now the temperature's gone up a bit, but it's still pretty cold out. Things won't really improve until I have to go back to work!

Saw Doctor Strange on Tuesday, and it was again the first time I'd been to the Hoffman in months, though I'd seen the amount of structures surrounding it increase while coming home most Wednesday nights. They've even put a Wegmen's there, which should actually be pretty useful once it opens. The movie itself was so bonkers I actually had a hard time evaluating its quality, but I will say I got much more enjoyment than emotional investment, and I can't say that was good thing, sadly. I started a rewatch of Shang-Chi on the bike machine this morning, and there's no denying I bonded way more with the two leads of that one.
I've been reading James Gardner's history of the Louvre, now reaching the part where it first got turned into a proper museum at the end of the 18th century. I was there once when I was 17, but I remember almost nothing besides the pyramid, and certainly didn't know then how fascinating a building with a crazy history it is. Naturally I want to go back now, but who knows when or even if I'll ever be in Paris again. I also want to go to the National Gallery, which I haven't been to since the pandemic started, and I may or may not go either today or this weekend, though my big planned trip remains the zoo tomorrow, since I haven't been there for nearly a decade and have wanted to since December.

Yesterday started with a disappointment: we found out the hard way that most Chinese restaurants are only doing take-away right now, and if you want that, you had to order from them before Christmas Day. We were able to get takeout from our normal place, though. Fantasia was worth the rewatch, especially since I knew all the pieces of music now, and while much of the animation comes across as simplistic now, some of it was very striking.
Today proved the better day, though. Joel Cohen's Macbeth isn't playing in very many places, but my sister drove us to the E-Street Cinema, and she'd already bought the tickets. It was a stagey, surreal film, in which unnerving imagery mixed itself with a tour de force performance from Denzel Washington to create something one won't soon forget. After it, my sister drove us to her place, where her husband had made us chicken and mac and cheese, all of which was truly delicious. Then we exchanged gifts, with mine including Jester's Mighty Nein: Origins and Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation.
Jon Oliver still has not cancelled, so right now all four us will be heading to the Kennedy Center together come Friday. I just have to get through the telework week first.

I was foolish enough to watch the Oscars last night, especially since I heard Chadwick Bosman was likely to win, and I wanted to see that. And then, of course, he didn't, and the Academy were left to have again foolishly failed to realize that yes, they really are that racist. (To be fair, apparently those that saw his movie think Anthony Hopkins deserved it. But that's probably not the most likely explanation for his winning.) Aside from that, the only Oscar I cared about was actually Original Score, because I had seen Soul, and that score was one for the ages. So at least I could be happy about that one.
I've now watched the first twenty episodes of The Mighty Nein This evening I even started episode 21 with the debut of the D&D Beyond commercial-which I'd watched already, but watching the cast go absolutely nuts over it never gets old. Watching the bits where Nott talks about herself and the goblins is a very odd experience indeed when you know what she's not telling them. Today, however, I finally got to Kiri, who may well be the most delightful NPC to show up yet in these earlier episodes.

Just finished Good Omens. It perhaps had been a little hyped to the point that it couldn't live up to such high expectations, but there was plenty to really like. Especially the whole thing where they don't really pretend the angel and the demon aren't in love with each other; they were always going to be the best part of this whole thing, and so they were. It's amusing to watch my tumblr feed get flooded with the ineffable husbands, as the kids are apparently now calling them.
Been seeing a lot of good things lately. I did ultimately find time to go see Rocketman on Sunday. It's a stunning movie, and also one that nearly reduced me to tears at the end.
Also been enjoying the French Open, especially now that the app includes the radio coverage, and I had plenty of time to listen the first week, although now of course there's been rain and everything starting later. Except I'm not really looking forward to the Fedal semi-final, if only because I don't think that's going to be the best of their matches.

Went into DC this weekend for the first time since the inauguration. We went to the Folder to see As Your Like It as well as meet a friend of my mother's for a light lunch. Aside from the occasional crowd of protesters the city doesn't feel too different yet. Still, I suspect I won't mind if I stay out until out next trip to the Folger or similar. I don't feel welcome there anymore. As You Like It was an okay time, but the production really could've been better.
Watched the Oscars last night until it was 11:30, and the music awards and memorial montage had both just happened. Like everyone else, I wish Lin-Manuel Miranda had won, but I'm sure he'll get it sooner or later. Meanwhile, Debbie and Carrie at the end of the montage had me breaking down for the second year in a row. I'd spent most of the night alternating between being pleased (Boggs/Cottonmouth got an Oscar!), and displeased (Multiple Oscars for the Mel Gibson movie? Really?) Not the mention the whole mess the ceremony itself was. I'm not sorry I missed the climatic fumble. I don't even feel like watching footage of it. I'm more sorry I haven't seen Moonlight, and am not sure when I can find a day to.
Finally watched my DVD of Norwegian Wood tonight. Surprised after it to discover it had included Rinko Kikuchi and also Eriko Hatsune, both of whom I've seen before. Unfortunately, the movie toned the book down a lot, and not even the sexual content (though there was lots of fade to black), but also things like the characterization. Still, I'm glad to have seen it.